What are the health benefits of potatoes?

Potatoes are a source of potassium. Potassium helps keep our blood pressure healthy. It also helps to control the balance of fluids in the body, and keeps our heart muscles working properly.

How to cook potatoes

It’s helpful to know the texture of a variety. A waxy potato, such as Charlotte, is low in starchy dry matter, meaning that it doesn’t easily disintegrate and is therefore well suited to boiling, steaming or using in potato salads. A floury potato, like Maris Piper, is high in dry matter and perfect for roasting and frying. Their fluffy texture makes them perfect for baked potatoes, served with different toppings.

You can also mash potatoes (floury works best) and eat them as a side, or as a topping for shepherd's pie, cottage pie and fish pie.

When are potatoes in season?

Potatoes are available throughout the year.

How to store potatoes

Choose firm potatoes with no blemishes or squishy bits on the skin. Don’t worry if they’re still covered in soil – this helps to keep them fresher for longer. Store potatoes in a paper bag somewhere cool and dark.

What are potatoes

Mashed, boiled, baked, roasted or sautéed – we love a good spud! Although potatoes are a vegetable, in the UK they don't count towards your 5-a-day. Because of the way we eat them, they're instead classified in the starchy carb food group. Potatoes are part of the nightshade plant family, which also includes tomatoes and chillies. We eat the tubers of the plant, which grow underground. More than 1 billion people around the world eat potatoes, making it one of the planet’s most important food crops.